The Spirit Carries On
by DOTMW
Summary: COMPLETED! Nicholas and Emily are plauged with dreams from past lives, haunted by strange faces. But when they meet, they'll discover how far their past lives will go to keep a promise. WillXLyra, OCXOC
1. Prolouge: Scenes from a Memory

_Prologue: Scenes form a Memory_

_Disclaimer: I do not own HDM or any of its subsidiaries (That means characters and stuff) I'm test driving this story, but The Dance of Eternity and Silvia Cooper are still at the top of my priority list. This idea was bugging me and I wanted to see how it would go. This story was inspired by Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory so it involves reincarnation_

_Alright, read on!_

"_On Midsummer's Day…as long as I live…" she said. _

_He found himself unable to see, but let the hot tears flow and held her close_

"_And if we-later on-" she whispered shakily. "If we meet someone we like and marry them, we must be good to them and not make comparisons all the time and whished we had married the other…but just keep up this coming here once a year, just for an hour…just to be together…"_

_The two locked in a passionate kiss, and then pulled away. The girl turned and looked right at him._

"_Nicholas…" she called to him._

* * *

Nicholas Bryant woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for air. He pushed himself up and let his breathing return to normal. He looked out the window: it was still dark, but the sun would be up soon so there was no use going back to sleep. Already he could hear the sound of the garbage truck rounding the corner and coming down his street.

He let himself fall back against the covers and ran his hands through his messy blonde hair. Another night, another dream. For months now, Nicholas found himself having vivid, powerful dreams about that girl. A girl about thirteen years old had been plaguing his dreams for months now. Every night she called to him, and for the last several months, her calls had become increasingly desperate. The dreams were so powerful and real that he swore to himself that he was standing right there as it happened, only to be dragged into reality as he awakened. Who was she? Why did she seem so familiar...?

Nicholas pushed himself out of bed. Might as well get ready for school, he thought. He wouldn't fall asleep again; he never did.

* * *

"Gaah!"

Thirteen miles away, unbeknownst to Nicholas, sixteen year old Emily Davidson was violently coming out of her dream and into the real world. She pushed herself up and ran her hands through her long black hair, trying to calm herself down. Another night, another dream. Who was he? Every night she had a dream involving a boy a few years younger than she was which would make him thirteen.

Emily looked at her clock in disgust. Five forty five. Too late to go back to sleep and _way _too early to be awake, she rolled out of bed. Even if it was earlier, she wouldn't go back to sleep; she never could…

* * *

"Nicholas! Pay attention!"

Nicholas sat up, shaken from his sleep by the sound of his History teacher's voice. Apparently, history was the wrong class to try to sleep in. Nicholas rubbed his eyes tiredly as the teacher glared back at him.

"I suppose you would like to provide an answer to number nineteen on last night's homework?"

Nicholas gulped. "Well, you see, Mr. Malloy, I didn't do the homework last night…"

Mr. Malloy sighed. "And why, pray tell, not Mr. Bryant?"

Nicholas's bottom lip quivered. "Well…it's…my grandmother, sir."

Mr. Malloy's face softened. "What's wrong?"

"Well…she took a rather bad fall last night and had to spend the night in the hospital. I was in the middle of the assignment when we got the call, so I just…"

"No, its fine, Nicholas. Just get the assignment to me when you can."

"Thank you sir."

Mr. Malloy turned around and Nicholas smirked to himself. He fell for it. The worst performance of his career and he never doubted him for a second! The other students simply rolled their eyes. It was a well known fact amongst the students that Nicholas was an accomplished liar. He always managed to find a way to weasel his way out of any situation with relative ease.

Mr. Malloy turned around to address the class. "We are going to be joined by a new student today. She has just transferred from Winchester and I hope you'll all…" he was interrupted as the door opened warily. "Ah, here she is now!"

Nicholas watched as a girl with long black hair entered the classroom. She stopped for a moment to check her schedule, before asking timidly "Am I in the right room?"

"Come in! Ladies and Gentleman, this in Emily Davison, our new classmate."

All The students gave Emily a half-hearted welcome except for Nicholas. He simply stared at her. He was sure he had seen her before…but where?

"You can have the desk next to Nicholas. Raise your hand so she can see, Nicholas."

Emily's eyes traveled to the boy with his hand raised. She froze. That boy…he looked so familiar. She had never met him before, she was sure of that. But for some reason she felt like she had known him all her life.

She slowly made her way to his seat, never once breaking eye contact.

"Now as I was saying, the expansion of the Holy Roman empire led to the rise of…anyone?" and the tedium of class returned. Students reluctantly returned to their books, tiredly taking notes as their teacher droned on.

* * *

Nicholas and Emily were trying to pay attention, but kept shooting glances at each other. They were both possessed with the strangest déjà vu they had ever experienced. How did he know her, and why did he look so familiar?

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Nicholas turned to Emily.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced." He said, holding out his hand.

"No, I guess we haven't."

They both clasped hands. At the same time, they said. "My name is…"

Then the most peculiar thing happened. Their brains both reached back to retrieve their names. They had given their names so many times before, it was hardly a difficult task. But as their brains pulled their true names up, their mouths betrayed them.

"Lyra Silvertounge" Nicholas found himself saying.

"Will Parry" Emily replied.

Finally their brains caught up with their mouths. The dropped each other's hands in shock and stood stunned for a moment.

"I'm sorry…I don't know what happened" Nicholas said, confused.

"I-I-I have to go!" Emily said, picking up her things and running for the door.

"Wait! I didn't get you're real name!"

She turned around. "Will…damn! Emily Davison!" she called out

"Right. I'm Ly…Nicholas Bryant!" he forced himself to say.

Emily disappeared out the door, but Nicholas just stood there, feeling confused. Why did he say that? That wasn't his name…was it?

* * *

_AN: Was it? What did you think? Review and I'll see what I can do. This is a test run so reviews are greatly appreciated._


	2. Chapter One: Strange Deja Vu

_Chapter One: Strange Déjà vu _

_Disclaimer: Do not own HDM. Thanks to Dream Theater for inspiring me to write this by releasing Metropolis Pt. 2: The Miracle and the Sleeper. Their music has been a continuous inspiration to me, especially this album. I guess this tested well, so I'll keep going. _

_Every Time I close my eyes_

_There's another vivid surprise _

_Another whole life waiting_

_Chapters unfinished, fading_

_Dream Theater-Strange Déjà vu _

"_Emily…" _

_Emily looked around. She found herself in a lush, beautiful garden, facing a small gate. She felt herself drawn towards the gate and when she reached for it, it swung open admitting her deeper into the garden. She wound along a path lined with flower beds until she reached a small pond. The hot summer day had caused many of the birds and small creatures that inhabited the garden to seek refuge from the cool air that rose off the lake and hung low to the ground. _

"_Emily…" _

_Emily rounded a hedge corner to face an old bench under a low hanging tree. On the bench was the boy from her dreams. He sat with a cat on his lap, stroking it like some kind of Bond villain would. The boy stared listlessly across the pond and out over the garden before turning his gaze sadly to the bench beside him. _

"_Umm, hello?" Emily called to him. _

_The boy looked up at the unwitting intruder with a glare that could have melted steel. His gaze softened, however, when he saw who it was. "Oh, hello Emily." He said._

"_How do you know my name?"_

_The boy shrugged. "When you spend nights bumping around someone's dreams you learn a lot about them." _

_Emily made her way over to the bench. "Can I sit here?" she asked._

_The boy looked at his watch. He was silent for several moments before sighing sadly. "Go ahead. She's gone now." _

"_Who's gone?" Emily said, taking a seat beside him. _

_The boy turned and focused his powerful gaze on Emily. He seemed so much older than twelve, Emily thought. He had the look Emily had only seen on the faces of war veterans and widowers; someone who had been through so much and lost everything he cared for. _

"_Lyra…" he said simply. _

* * *

Emily woke, feeling the pale moonlight stream through the blinds and illuminate her face. She flipped on her lamp, and opened a green notebook on her bedside. Ever since the boy had started making recurring visits to her dreams, she had recorded the details in a dream journal, an idea she got from her psychology class. She flipped open to a blank page.

_February 23, 2050. Some kind of garden. Boy had a cat in his arms. Sitting sadly, staring off into space. Acknowledged the fact that we… I was dreaming (lucid dreaming?) and made a comment about losing someone he cared about. Lyra…Nicholas? _

Emily paused, thoughtfully sucking on the end of her pen. Lyra…Silvertounge? That was the name that that boy…what was his name…Nicholas…had accidentally said. Could he have something to do with…nah. She quickly dismissed the idea and shut her book and got back under the covers. That was just a coincidence…wasn't it?

* * *

Thirteen miles away, Nicholas was sitting upright in bed, yellow notepad propped up on his lap.

_February 23, 2050. Botanic Garden. Girl from before, with some kind of ferret. Mentioned that I was dreaming, referred to a lost love. Will…Emily? Resumed petting Pan before…_

Nicholas stopped and stared hard at the paper. Pan…why did he write that? He had never seen the ferret in dreams before so why did he call him that? Nicholas looked the entry over. Will…Parry, he thought. Didn't that new girl…Emily…slip that out in class? Could she maybe know something about…nah. He tossed the pad aside and flipped the light off again. That was just a coincidence.

* * *

Emily snapped her eyes open as Mr. Malloy droned on. She had tried unsuccessfully to fall asleep again and was trying to run on three cups of coffee. She stifled another yawn and tried to pay attention but it wasn't easy when you're teacher managed to make 300 years of viscous, pointless bloodshed the most boring thing on earth. The warm summer day combined with History class in a dark room made it the worst place to be when you were trying to pay attention.

She looked over at her side .Nicholas was using his sweatshirt as a pillow and hiding his head behind his textbook to avoid Mr. Malloy's gaze. He suddenly snapped awake. He looked around for a moment, disoriented, before finally slouching over the side of his desk in pure exhaustion.

"Long night?" she asked him quietly.

He gave a dry laugh. "You have no idea…" he muttered.

"Actually I-I-I…"she yawned deeply. "I might…"

"Oh no, you don't." Nicholas assured her.

"Oh really?"

"Yep." Nicholas said definitely.

"Alright,." Emily said, ducking her head down to Nicholas's level. "Try me."

Nicholas grumbled. "You don't want to know…" he said evasively.

"Oh, but I do. See, that's why I asked you. When somebody asks something they usually want to know the answer."

Nicholas rolled his eyes. "You'll think I'm a bloody psychopath…"

Emily rolled her eyes in turn. "Talk." She said.

"Fine!" he grumbled quietly. "If you must know…I've been having these weird dreams lately…"

Emily leaned in closer. Now she was interested. "Go on."

"Look, shouldn't we be paying attention to class?" he asked, trying to avoid the question.

"You'd rather listen to this guy butcher the history of the Roman empire than talk about a dream? My dad's a psychologist and i've been helping him out since I was thirteen. Maybe I can help." Though secretly she wanted to know about that name that the boy had said last night.

Nicholas looked around. Maybe she could help. "Okay, but not here. Let's meet somewhere after school. Somewhere private. I really don't want to share this with anyone else"

"Okay. Is there like a park or something around here?"

"Well…there's a botanic garden not far from here. You know, a bunch of exotic flowers and trees."

Emily froze. Her mouth was suddenly very dry. "Does it…does it have a pond?"

Nicholas looked back at Emily. "Yeah...yeah it does."

The two broke off as the lights came back on. They tried to pay attention to the rest of class, but somehow couldn't. Suddenly the warm summer day had become very cold…

* * *

_AN: Whooooooo…spooky._

_Next chapter: Nick and Emily return to the Botanic garden and the sight of a bench sparks old memories. Past lives show themselves and everybody freaks out! Tune in next time! I just have to entertain this idea before I can move on. I've hit writer's block with my other two stories and this one is a nice break. Don't worry, though. The Dance of Eternity is coming along fine, I just need to figure out how to work out a difficult part in the story. _

_Peace, Love and Rock and Roll_

_Dotmw_


	3. Chapter Two: Through My Words

_Chapter Two: Through My Words _

_All your eyes have ever seen_

_All you've ever heard_

_Is etched upon my memory_

_Is spoken through my words_

_All that I take with me_

_Is all you've left behind_

_We're sharing one eternity_

_Living in two minds _

_Linked by an endless thread_

_Impossible to break_

_Dream Theater-Through MY Words _

The bell rang, signaling the end of school. Almost immediately, students burst from the front doors like rats fleeing a sinking ship. It was Friday; freedom was at hand for forty eight blissful hours. The week belonged to the school but the weekends were theirs.

Nicholas and Emily cut out the side door and began walking towards the garden. "It's about a mile his way." Nicholas said.

The two walked in silence for some time, each of them silently contemplating what a trip to this garden would do for them. Would this solve anything? Did the answers they were seeking lie within the stone walls of Oxford's Botanic Garden?

Nicholas broke the silence. "So you moved from Winchester?"

"Yeah. My dad got a new job as a counselor here so he brought me with him."

"Just you?" Nicholas asked.

Emily bit her lip. "Well…yeah. See, my mum passed away when I was little and it's just been me and dad for as long s I can remember."

"Oh…God, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's okay. I really can't remember her enough to miss her. So, what about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, what's your family like?"

Nicholas pressed the crosswalk button. "Well my mum and dad work for a hospital; they're both doctors so I don't see them that much."

"Oh...sorry." Emily said.

Nicholas laughed. "Let's stop apologizing, alright?" Emily laughed, but stopped when she saw what Nicholas did next. Nicolas reached up and, with one practiced motion, tucked his longish blonde hair behind his ears. As Emily saw this, something stirred deep inside her. It felt as if she was holding some powerful monster in her chest and the beast was trying to desperately claw its way out. Emily subconsciously held a hand to her chest to try and quell the feeling. It softened, but didn't die completely.

"We're here." Nicholas said.

The wall of the Botanic garden was lined with ivy and vines of every kind. Nicholas held the gate open for Emily and the tow passed through. The garden spread out over a square mile in the middle of the city. Exotic plants and trees of every kind grew in different sections and a small pond rested in the center.

"Where do you want to go?" Nicholas asked.

"There's a bench beyond that gate under a tree. It's by the pond so…" Emily covered her mouth.

"Have you been here before?" Nicholas asked.

"No…never. Is there even a bench over there?"

They rounded the corner and caught sight of the little gate. They both felt a strange sensation build inside them as Nicholas reached for the door handle. He remembered that the handle stuck sometimes and you needed to jiggle it a little…

Nicholas shook his head. How did he know that? He quickly shook it off and opened the door. A few hundred feet away sat a worn bench under a low tree. Emily suppressed a gasp. There it was, just like in the dream. She was shivering now; something was calling her here.

They awkwardly moved over to the bench and sat down. As each one did they were possessed by a strange sense of déjà vu; like they had done this hundreds of times before.

"So…" Emily began. "About your dream."

"Right,. So I've been having strange dreams lately. They've been persisting for months now and I can't find out what they mean. There's this girl…she's always in them. She's alone but she's always got her daemon…"

"What?" Emily asked. "Her what?"

"Her…see! That's another thing! I keep having these strange premonitions; I know things I shouldn't know. It's like I've done things I know for a fact I haven't done before! I…does any of this make any sense?"

Emily was silent. Her eyes were wide open and a look of terror possessed her. "Does she talk about a boy?"

"Yeah, but…" Nicholas stopped. "How did you know that?"

Emily looked away. "Because he talks about her."

Silence. Both of them sat silently, taking in this new information. "So you've had them too?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah."

"This…can't be happening. This is just too crazy." Nicholas said in stunned disbelief

"How do you explain what we know then?" Emily asked. "I couldn't have known that bench was there unless…"

"You've seen it before." Nicholas supplied. He shifted uncomfortably. "What does this mean?"

Emily shook her head, stunned. "I-I don't know. I mean I've heard of twins and lovers having the same dreams but not two complete strangers."

"I've never met you before, so how can we…" Nicholas trailed off. He gasped softly and Emily did the same. That feeling was back and stronger than ever. They tried to contain it, desperately pressing against their chests, but they couldn't stop it. The beast had taken control.

Before they knew it, they were locked in a passionate kiss, arms wrapped tightly around each other. They remained like that for a moment, lost in the ecstasy of being with one another. Finally they pulled back , eyes still closed.

"Will…" Nicholas said to Emily in a voice unlike his own.

"Lyra…" Emily responded with the voice of a young man rather than a girl.

They slowly opened their eyes. When they saw what they were doing they jumped back to opposite sides of the bench.

"What happened?" Emily said, checking her throat, making sure her voice returned to normal.

"I don't know, I don't know!" Nicholas responded, panic entering his voice.

"We were just sitting there and then…then…well, you know." She seemed unable to find the right words to say.

"I need to think." Nicholas said, rising from the bench. "What was with your voice?"

"_My _voice? At least I didn't sound like a little girl."

"Alright!" Nicholas snapped. He stepped away, walking towards the pond. He sighed and turned back to Emily who was coming towards him. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just…freaked out right now."

"You and me both." She said, coming up alongside him. They stood side by side, staring at the pond as the sun set behind them.

"Well, it's getting late. I should be getting home. Listen I keep a journal of past dreams…" Emily said

"Really? So do I! Maybe we could…I don't know…meet up and compare notes?" Nicholas asked.

"Okay! My dad is going back to Winchester for the weekend to finalize the move. Maybe we could meet at a library or something."

They exchanged cell numbers and bade each other farewell. Nicholas started walking home, head buzzing. What had caused him to do that? He felt a headache growing on the way home and by the time he reached his front steps, it had turned into a splitting migraine.

He unlocked the door and stepped inside. "Mom? Dad?" he found a note taped to the medicine cabinet. _Nick, double shift at the hospital. We've got to stay until Monday. There's food in the fridge. Love: Mom and Dad. _Nick sighed as he trudged up the stairs, flung open his door and flopped down on his bed. At least he could sleep peacefully. This girl was literally becoming a headache. Nick closed his eyes and began drifting off to sleep...

"_WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?!?!" _

Nick woke up suddenly, looking around. That defiantly wasn't a dream. "Who's there?" he called, reaching for a cricket bat beside his bed.

"_Oh, put that away! It's not like you hit me anyway…" _

"Who are…wait. I know that voice. You're that girl. What are you doing outside my dream?"

"_Talking to you, that's what!" _her voice angrily stated. _"We've got to talk. Now." _Nicholas reached for his phone. Emily would know what to do.

"_What do you think you're doing?!"_ the voice asked. _"Get in here NOW!!" _Nicholas dropped the phone. He was suddenly possessed by a powerful sleepiness. He tried to make it to his bed but before he could, he fell, unconscious before he hit the floor.

* * *

_AN: That's all folks! Next time there's inner turmoil as past and present lives clash violently! Disclaimer: I do not own HDM. I'm putting these at the end from now on. _

_Peace, Love and rock and Roll_

_Dotmw_


	4. Chapter Three: The Spirit Carries On

_Chapter Three: The Spirit Carries On_

_If I die tomorrow_

_I'd be alright, because I believe _

_That after we're gone_

_The Spirit Carries On_

_The Spirit Carries On-Dream Theater _

"_Nicholas!" _

_Nicholas found himself in the botanic garden, lying in the grass. He sat up and saw that he was lying a few hundred feet from the bench that they he had been at that day. Something was different though. The walls of the garden reached up, towering hundreds of feet higher than they should have been. They closed him in, sealing him away from the rest of the world. _

"_Nicholas!" _

_He looked up to see the girl glaring at him from her seat on the bench, stroking the golden ferret, foot tapping in pure annoyance. _

"_What the hell were you thinking?!" she angrily demanded. "I found him! I found him and then you go and bungle everything up! Sixteen years and three months of hard work goes up in smoke because you're afraid of a little kiss! I hope you're happy…" the girl was positively fuming. _

_Nicholas jumped up from his position on the grass and angrily marched over to her. "What was I thinking? Oh, nothing much. Something along the lines of "WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING TALKING TO VOICES IN MY HEAD, SNOGGING A GIRL I HARDLY KNOW AND TALKING LIKE A LITTLE GIRL!!!" Nicholas's voice dripped with anger and sarcasm, matching the girl's ferocity. "LISTEN HERE, LAURA…"_

"_Lyra" she corrected._

"_WHATEVER! YOU DRAG ME IN HERE AND HAVE THE NERVE TO GET ANGRY AT ME! AFTER HUMILIATING ME TWICE IN ONE WEEK!!! I DEMAND AN EXPLANATION!" _

"_Hey, don't talk to Lyra like that!" a small voice demanded from the bench. Nicholas looked down to see the ferret glowering at him. _

"_I'm sorry, did that ferret just talk?" Nicholas asked Lyra. _

"_Yes, he did!" the animal chimed in on his own behalf. "And I'm not a bleeding ferret! I am a pine marten." He said in a very dignified fashion._

"_Pan hates it when people call him a ferret…" Lyra remarked, smoothing his bristled fur against his back. "He also hates it when people snap at me!" _

"_Well I hate it when I get possessed by an otherworldly entity and being forced to make out with a girl I just met!" Nicholas retorted. _

_Lyra looked like she was ready to fire back with another sharp remark, but changed her mind. Pan got up, shooting a vindictive glance at Nicholas and ran off, chasing a squirrel into the garden. She sighed, tucking her short blonde hair behind her ears. "I…I guess you're right. Have a seat; this is going to take a while." _

_Nicholas sat on the bench beside her, still eying her warily. "We should make this brief; I want to call Emily before it gets too late." _

"_That won't be necessary. If I know Will, he's probably having the same talk with her as we speak." _

"_Alright, then. Let's start at the beginning: who are you and what are you doing in my head?" _

"_That's the problem Nicholas. I'm not in you; I am you." _

"_What's that supposed to mean?" Nicholas asked. _

"_I guess I should start at the beginning. What do you believe happens to you when you die?"_

"_Well, I was raised to believe that once I die, if I live a good life, my soul will rise up and, I don't know, go to heaven or something…" Nicholas said sheepishly. The truth was that his parents were Christian, but he never remembered going to church a day in his life. _

"_Well, you're wrong." Lyra stated simply, casually dismissing Nicholas's life's belief in three words. _

"_I'm wrong?" Nicholas echoed in disbelief. "How do you know?" _

"_I'll get to that. Now when your body dies, your spirit goes down into another world; the world of the dead. A very old man carries you across a dark and grimy ocean until you reach the land of the dead. There you tell your life story to harpies and they lead you out to the world again. There you're spirit dissipates and your atoms are used to make new life." Lyra finished, nodding in a matter of fact kind of way. _

_Nicholas stared at the strange girl. For a long time he just stared at her, eyes unblinking and unfocused. _

_Finally, after minutes of silence, he said, "How…do you expect me to believe…that load of rubbish?" He asked slowly. "How do you know?" _

_Lyra took a deep breath. "Well, that's because…I'm dead." _

"_D-Dead?" Nicholas stuttered. "You're…physically…dead?" he managed to say, struggling to find the right words to express his disbelief. _

"_Yes, physically: Is there any other way to be dead?" She asked impatiently _

"_But…how? And what does that have to do with me and Emily?" Nicholas blurted out. _

"_I'm getting to that. When I was alive, I was born in another world .You see, in addition to the world of the dead; there are many different alternate universes. I was born in one that's like yours in some ways but different in so many others. All you need to know is that I had to leave my world at some point to do something important. And along the way, I met Will…" _

"_That's what I called Emily in the park today." Nicholas mused. _

"_Right, Will Parry. We met in another world and we helped each other with what we had to do because each of us had to do something important. I won't bother to explain, it's kind of a long story, but eventually we fell in love. I guess we felt for each other long before we confessed it." Lyra sighed, looking out over the pond, lost in old memories. _

"_Good for you. Really, Hallmark should make a movie out of it." Nicholas muttered sarcastically. "Again, what does this have to do us?" _

"_Will you let me finish?" she snapped angrily. She composed herself and began again. "Well, due to circumstances we couldn't avoid, we had to be separated and live in our own worlds. Even though we had to live our lives separately, we held on to the hope of meeting after death. No one could stop us then; we would simply wait for each other just before the exit and nothing would ever keep us apart ever again! It was foolproof…except…" Lyra dropped her head, sadly._

"_Except you never found him." Nicholas supplied. _

"_No…once I died I never stopped searching for him. But…I couldn't find him. I looked over the thousands and thousands of worlds but he wasn't there. Then, when I was passing over his world again, I felt him. He was in a nearby building. I flew down to the building but when I looked in the window I thought there was a mistake. All I saw was a nursery with a baby girl crying in her mother's arms. I couldn't believe it; Will had been reborn. I panicked; I didn't know what to do. I did the first thing that came to mind…"_

"_You jumped into the first unborn child you could find with the intention of shanghaiing said young man and use his life for your own selfish purposes with a reckless disregard for his own wishes and feelings…sound about right?" Nicholas asked with a mad glint in his eye._

"_Well when you put it that way…" Lyra said sheepishly_

"_That way! What other way is there to put it?" Nicholas stood up, moving away from the bench. _

"_Look," Lyra said, jumping to her feet and moving over to Nicholas. "I don't like this anymore than you do. I would much rather be floating around the cosmos with my best friend and love instead of stuck in a kid's head. But here we are." _

_Nicholas was silent for a time, lost in his own thoughts. Finally he spoke. "So what do we do know?" he asked quietly _

"_Right now, my goal is to be reunited with Will. I don't care how it happens or what I have to do to get there; I've got to get to Will." _

"_And how do you plan on doing that? In case you haven't noticed, he's kind of attached to someone and removing him might be a challenge." Nicholas said, turning to face Lyra._

"_Well…that's where you come in." _

"_Me? What do you want me to do?" _

"_You and Emily have got to find a way to reunite us. I don't care what you have to do, just do it." _

_Nicholas let out a short, humorless laugh. "You have some nerve. You hijack my body and now expect me to help you! And what if I should refuse?" _

_Her eyes narrowed. "Let's just say your life will be much more difficult if you choose not to…" Lyra let the threat hang. _

"_Are you threatening me?!?!" Nicholas asked incredulously. _

"_Threatening you?" Lyra echoed, putting on an innocent voice. "Not at all. I just think school might be challenging when you find yourself suddenly overcome with a powerful, passionate love for your friend and classmate." _

"_You…you're bluffing! You can't just do that!" _

"_Oh but I can, dear Nicholas. I managed to get a hold of you back at the park and I can do it again in a heartbeat." Lyra said smugly. "All you have to do is find a way for us to reunite and I'll be out of your hair…or rather your head…forever." _

_Nicholas thought it over. "I don't have much of a choice do I?" he asked helplessly. _

"_Nope. Either you help us or I'll fill the rest of your days with misery and woe." _

"_Alright…I'll do what I can…" Nicholas said in defeat._

"_Good!" Lyra said with a sense of finality. "Now when I'm done here and you wake up, you're going to call Emily and tell her when to meet you at the library tomorrow. Get some background on past lives and see if you can figure this whole mess out. You do that, and you'll get rid of me for good…" _

* * *

Nicholas sat up and banged his head on the headboard. Cursing, he fumbled around in the darkness for a phone. He flipped it open: Three o'clock. Lyra had been talking to him for six hours already. As he was dialing Emily's number, the phone went off, signaling that he had a call coming in.

"Hello?"

"Nicholas?" Emily's voice came over the line.

"Emily! I was about to call you…"

"I know. I just had another dream."

"Did your guy…"

"Make several outrageous claims and then threaten to ruin my life?" she supplied, reading his mind

Nicholas sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I have a feeling this is going to be a long weekend, Emily. A very long weekend."

* * *

_AN: OH HOW RIGHT HE IS!!!! Find out how right in the next Chappie! Library research and other detective work! Oh, and I don't own HDM or these songs_


	5. Chapter Four: Beyond this Life

_Chapter Four: Beyond this Life _

_Our deeds have traveled far_

_What we have been is who we are _

_Dream Theater-Beyond this Life _

_(PS: Bonus Prize for anyone who can identify the Dream Theater references in this chapter!) _

"So all we have to do is get them back together?"

Emily voiced the question from across the library table at Nicholas who was using _Reincarnation: The Answer Lies Within by Dr. John Myung _as a pillow. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and lazily flicked his hair behind his ears. Emily felt Will's feelings for Lyra rise up inside her and she desperately quelled them with thoughts of everything except the person sitting across the table.

"_All _we have to do?" Nicholas echoed. "We're talking about exorcising two people claiming to be past lives! What do think we can do? Walk up to the nearest church and see if they shoot out?"

"We could try! Hello, father, I've got the spirit of a thirteen year old girl and a ferret…"

"Pine Marten." Nicholas corrected.

"Sorry?"

Nicholas shrugged "He hates it when people call him a ferret." Emily stared at him blankly. "Don't ask; it's a long story."

"Right…so how are we going to go about this again?" Emily asked.

"Well I pulled everything the library has on reincarnation, so I think it would be best to just systematically go through these and see what we can find out." He said opening his pillow and handing Emily _The Great Debate: A detailed examination of the Afterlife By Prof. James LaBrie of the University of Toronto. _The two cracked open the books and began pouring over the information they had found.

_Two hours later _

BLAM!

"I quit!" Nicholas said, slamming _The War Inside My Head: Past and Present Lives Conflict by Dr. Jordan Rudess _on the table so loudly that everyone in the library jumped. "I can't read another blinking book! I'm going mad!"

"Hush!" Emily rebuked. "Do you want to get us thrown out? Maybe we should use a computer; it might be faster."

"Finally! It's 2050 for God's sake. Why didn't we do this before…" Nicholas muttered bitterly.

Emily rolled her eyes and picked her way around the tables and over to a long desk lined with computer monitors. She sat down and logged on to the internet.

"Alright, what should we look up first?"

"Try…" Nicholas thought back to his dream. "Try looking up "Alternate Universe." That girl…Lyra said that she was from another world."

Emily typed the command in and waited for a response. Less than a second later the results popped up on a screen.

"2,897,978,356,000 results. Wonderful." Nicholas said sarcastically.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Do you have to be so negative all the time?"

"Only in matters of supernatural beings, mind control and reincarnation."

Emily scrolled down the page. "Alternate Universe, The video game: Alternate Universe on E-Bay: Visit Alternate Universes while enlarging your…eww!" Emily reached the bottom link. "Oxford scientist killed while working on alternate universe project…may as well." She clicked the link and it brought up an old newspaper page. Her eyes scanned the page, from the paragraphs to the ads before settling on the picture of the unfortunate scientist. He was a man in his mid thirties wearing a white lab coat and a somber expression. His arms were folded across his chest and a large cat could be seen in the background.

"Emily, Look!" Nicholas pointed at the caption at the bottom of the picture.

Emily's eyes widened. The caption read. "Dr. William John Parry killed in tragic accident at Oxford research lab."

"Is that…can it be?" She muttered. She scrolled down and read the rest of the letter out loud to Nicholas.

**_OXFORD SCIENTIST KILLED IN TRAGIC ACCIDENT. _**

"_OXFORD, ENGLAND: Firefighters tried to clear the wreckage of what remained of a research lab in the basement of Oxford University. Paramedics pulled the body of thirty five year old William Parry out of the flaming rubble. Hospital staff did all they could, but Dr. Parry died at 8:52 AM on Sunday January 28, 2028. Doctors reported that Dr. Parry's Last words were simply, "Lyra, I tried…" _

_Dr. Parry had been working on his theory that multiple universes exist parallel to our own. He had reportedly constructed a machine that would be able to allow the user to pass between worlds but the machine exploded in its initial test, Killing the young doctor. _

_Dr. Parry is survived by his wife, Victoria Parry, and his colleagues at the university. _

Emily sat back from the screen, eyes glazed in shock.

Nicholas rubbed her shoulder. "Emily? Are you okay?"

Emily snapped out of her trance. "What?"

"Do you think that was him? I mean, is this the same guy we're dealing with?"

Emily stared blankly at the screen. "I dunno. The Will Parry in my head is just a kid but he looks grown up to me…"

"Yeah…but something tells me that this is the guy we're looking for."

"You mean…?"

"I think that Lyra's telling me that this is the Will she knows." Nicholas closed his eyes, removing the barriers against the nagging presence in the back of his mind. He slowly felt himself slipping away as a new power took control.

Nicholas opened his eyes. Emily could tell right away that something was different; Nicholas wasn't there anymore.

Emily cleared her throat. "L-Lyra?" she asked Nicholas

He turned to face her. "Yes?" he inquired in the voice of a young girl.

"Is that Will?" she asked, turning the screen towards him (her?)

Nicholas's eyes followed Emily's finger up the screen and gasped when Lyra saw the picture.

"Yes," Lyra responded. "That's him." Suddenly Nicholas's eyes rolled back and he slouched over in the chair. Emily rushed over to help but by the time she reached him he was sitting up and looking around.

"What happened, Nick?" Emily asked.

"I…just let Lyra take over. What did she say?" Nicholas sat up and shook his hair out.

"This is our guy." Emily read the last line of the paper again. "Hey, Nick, get me an address directory. I think it's time we paid Mrs. Parry a visit."

* * *

_AN: Victoria Parry reveals a lot about Will and the past. I also don't own HDM or the Dream Theater references. Could anyone figure them out? The Dance of Eternity has hit a stumbling block but not to worry. I've just had some girl troubles recently and I haven't been in a very romantic mood…oh well. _

_Peace, Love and Rock and Roll_

_Dotmw_


	6. Chapter Five: Through Her Eyes

_Chapter Five: Through Her Eyes _

_Just beyond the churchyard gates_

_Where the grass is overgrown_

_I saw the writing on the stone_

_I felt like I would suffocate_

_In loving memory of our child_

_So innocent, eyes open wide_

_I felt so empty as I cried_

_Like a part of me had died_

_I'm learning all about my life_

_By looking through her eyes. _

_Through her Eyes-Dream Theater. _

_RAP! RAP! RAP! _

Nicholas knocked three times on the door of the old cottage. He and Emily had taken a bus across town to the little suburb that was the location of Victoria Parry.

_RAP! RAP! RAP! _

"Well, she's not here. Let's go." Nicholas said, turning to leave.

"Nicholas!" Emily said, glaring at him.

He turned around and reluctantly reached for the doorbell. Truth was he was extremely unhappy about meeting this woman. His feelings were undoubtedly the product of Lyra's bitter jealousy coupled with her fear that Will might still love his wife instead of her. Nicholas quieted the girl's raging emotions and rang the bell.

"Coming!" a voice called from within. The door opened revealing a kindly looking woman in her late fifties fumbling to put on her spectacles. "Yes, can I help you?" she asked surveying the two teenagers.

"Victoria Parry?" Emily asked from her position behind Nicholas. Part of Emily was also nervous about this reunion.

"Yes, that's me."

Nicholas stepped forward. Tapping into a tiny part of Lyra he began weave his story. "Hello, we're students at a high school in Oxford and we're doing a research report on your late husband's work. Can we speak to you for a moment?"

She hesitated for a second. "Yes, come in." she said stepping aside and allowing the two to enter.

"Come on in and have a seat in the living room." She lead them into a small sitting room furnished with a yellow chair and matching loveseat. Emily and Nicholas sat across from Victoria as she settled herself into the chair.

"So what would you like to know about Will?" she asked, folding her hands and leaning back in the chair.

"Well, could you give us a little detail about the nature of his work?" Nicholas said, flipping open a notebook as if he was about to take notes.

Victoria took a deep breath. "My husband believed that multiple worlds existed parallel to this one and the goal of his research was to discover it. In fact it was during his research that I met him." Victoria smiled sadly. "It was hard to tear him away from that place. We even had our wedding on the college grounds in their botanic garden…"

_SNAP!_

Emily and Victoria looked over at Nicholas who had snapped the point of his pencil against the yellow notepad. He put on a fake and strained smile as he said. "No worries; I brought a pen." Emily detected a venomous feminine undertone in Nicholas's voice and squeezed his hand to silently keep a handle on him, or rather her.

"You say Will was interested in his work?" Emily asked desperately trying to move the conversation along.

Victoria let out a laugh. "Interested? He was married to it. He worked on that bloody contraption like a man possessed. Every day he would leave before I got up and return late that night. He was so happy when he finished. He said, "It's all going to be alright now. I've figured it out!" But, as you know…"

"He never completed it." Emily supplied.

"No. I remember when I got the call that Will had…" Victoria broke off, raising a hand to her mouth.

"I understand. Is there anything more you can tell us about Will?" Nicholas asked, probing for answers.

"Well…this may be horrible to say but I don't think he loved me." Victoria said sadly.

_Ha! _Lyra's voice triumphantly crowed inside of Nicholas's head. Nicholas suppressed a smug grin and asked. "Why do you say that?"

"Just intuition. I felt that he was looking for a way to escape; an escape from this world to somewhere else. That's why he worked so hard on that machine. He wanted out."

Emily felt a profound sadness mixed with guilt rise inside her. "I'm sure he loved you, Mrs. Parry. Maybe he just had a prior commitment…"

"Prior commitment? How could he…well, there was his little yearly ritual." Victoria said thoughtfully.

"Yearly ritual?" Emily asked.

"Yes. Every Mid-Summer's day he'd go out for an hour or so and he would always come back depressed and mope around for the rest of the day. Spent his time with is cat, Kirjava."

Emily thought of the large multi-colored cat in her dream. "Where is Kirjava now?"

"I don't know. On the day of his death she was just sitting on the couch, staring out the window. When I got the call, I left the room and when I came back, she had just…vanished."

"Vanished?"

"Yes. I looked all over for her but I couldn't find her. It's like she died along with Will."

The last response lest a void of silence in the room. Emily finally spoke up. "Where is he buried, Mrs. Parry? We want to get a picture of his headstone for our presentation."

Victoria looked up. "He's in St. Patrick's Cemetery. It's just around the block."

Nicholas stood up, folding his notepad up. "Well it's been great talking to you, Mrs. Parry. I think we have the information we need to finish our work."

"I'm glad I could help. Would you mind showing yourselves out? I'm feeling very sleepy and I think I need a nap." Victoria said, wrapping herself in an afghan.

"We will, Mrs. Parry. Good-bye."

Nicholas stepped outside. "Finally. I thought we would never leave there! She was a bit boring, wasn't she Emily?"

Nicholas turned around to see Emily standing on the front steps. Something was different about her. She looked exactly the same but Nicholas noticed her eyes held a powerful ferocity and she held her chin in a stubborn manner.

"You're not Emily, are you?" Nicholas asked

Emily shook her head. "I need to do something. I'll just be a moment." She replied in Will's voice.

Nicholas nodded. Even Lyra's raging jealousy had quieted into a sort of begrudging understanding. "I'll be waiting here: take all the time you need."

Will used Emily's head to nod and then moved back into the house. He made his way to the armchair in the living room where Victoria had dozed off with her head on the side of the chair. Will knelt down beside the chair and took a deep breath.

"Victoria. If you can hear me I just want you to know something." Will made Emily sigh. "I always loved you, Victoria. Without you I don't think I could have made it in this world. But you have to understand, Victoria, I could never be truly _in _love with you. I still loved Lyra and if you only knew her you'd know why it is that I couldn't be there for you. You deserved so much better than I gave you and it tears at my heart knowing that you wasted your life on a loveless marriage." Emily felt tears prick her eyes. "I'm sorry. You were a loving and caring friend and all you got in return was a lonely house and an empty bed at night. I never meant to hurt you." Tears were now streaming down Emily's face as she stood up. "I have to go now, Victoria. Just go to sleep and when you wake up I hope you can forgive me." He made Emily cover her with another shawl. "We'll meet again, my friend. Someday soon." With tears streaming down her face, Emily's body turned and walked her out to meet Nicholas.

Nicholas saw Emily come out and went to meet her. She stumbled as Will returned to her subconscious and would have crashed into the pavement if Nicholas hadn't caught her.

Emily opened her eyes and looked up to see Nicholas looking down at her, concern etched on his features. "What happened?" Emily asked groggily.

"Will took over again. He said he had to do something inside."

Emily stood up, leaning on Nicholas to steady herself. "Let's get to that cemetery. I want to see him before it get's dark..."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Emily and Nicholas were passing through the old churchyard gate and into the cemetery.

"This way!" Emily said, guided by a subconscious force.

"Emily, wait up!" Nicholas called, lagging behind. But Emily was moving too fast. Somthing inside her was pulling her along and all she could do was try to keep up. Finally, she stopped in front of a lone tombstone on top of a hill, overlooking the city

_William Parry_

_Jan. 15, 1992-Jan. 28, 2050_

_Beloved Husband_

_Loyal Friend_

_Finally free_

_Loyal husband..._Emily's vision blurred. She reached a hand up to feel hot tears clouding her vision. As soon as she brushed them away, fresh ones took their place. Her shoulders started to shake and before she knew it, her body was being racked with full choking sobs.

Emily felt an arm gently grip her around her shoulders. She turned to see Nicholas wrapping an arm around her

"S-So stupid." Emily managed to choke out between sobs. "I-I didn't even know him. But…" she looked back at Will's grave and was overcome by a fresh wave of tears. "I feel like a part of me has died along with him." She tried to stop her crying but it only seemed to worsen it.

Nicholas awkwardly pulled her into a hug. Emily stiffened at first but gradually relaxed into his arms and embraced him back. And so the two teenagers who had been strangers just five days earlier sat in each other's arms mourning the loss of a complete stranger…and a dear friend.

* * *

_AN: Sorry if That seemed rushed but i wrote Will's monolouge as a stream of consciousness, meaning he wouldn't take the time to think out what he was going to say; he would just go for it. I'm going to work on the Dance of Eternity and Silvia Cooper before i update again (I feel like i neglected them...) so it may be a few weeks before i update again. My Sly Fic is almost done so i want to put it to bed so i can work on my HDM stuff with out distraction. _

_Peace, Love and all that Jazz _

_Dotmw_


	7. Chapter Six: Regression

_Chapter Six: Regression_

_Safe in the light that surrounds me_

_Free of the fear and the pain_

_My subconscious mind is spinning through time_

_To rejoin the past once again. _

_Regression-Dream Theater _

"Well we can't complain that our weekend boring…"

Emily laughed at Nicholas's attempt to permeate the awkward silence surrounding them since they left the cemetery. They were both a little shy since the little "crying-hugging-weep-a-thon" in the cemetery though Emily didn't seem to mind. She wasn't so much amused by the comment but by Nicholas's trying to make everything normal again. It was, well, sweet.

Emily blushed and turned away. _Stupid Will, _she thought. Because of him, she had experienced every extreme emotion in the last twenty-four hours whether directly (Will expressing his love for Lyra) or indirectly (Felling like she had lost a friend in the cemetery). This had to end soon or she felt like she was going to go mad.

"I feel like we're getting close. It can't be much longer now…" Nicholas said.

"Whoa, whoa whoa! Time out Nick!" Emily said stopping. "What's the rush? I mean, it's not like we've got a time limit or something, right?"

"No, but…Lyra's getting a stronger pull over me. I think… I think I'm starting to get these…you know…feelings…about…well…you." Nicholas managed to spit out.

"I see…"

"But it's just Lyra messing with me again! You know how _they _can get!" Nicholas said hurriedly

"Right! I'm sure that's what it is!" Emily responded just as quickly

The two walked on, silence being the language of choice, until they reached roughly the center of town.

"Well, I'm this way," Nicholas said, gesturing down the street to his left. "So…call you tomorrow?" Nicholas asked.

"Sure." Emily said, smiling as she did so. _Hmm, she's cute when she smiles_, Nicholas noticed. Nicholas gulped and hastily bade Emily farewell. _Stupid Lyra, _Nicholas thought as he tore off down the street. This had to stop; he was starting to fancy a girl he had known for only a few short days.

Nicholas opened the door to his house and headed into the TV room. He flopped down on the couch and was about to reach for the remote when he was suddenly overcome with a powerful drowsiness.

_Here we go again…_Nicholas thought as he closed his eyes.

* * *

_Nicholas once again "woke up" in the garden. Lyra was sitting on the bench, reading a dusty old book and occasionally looking back at something in her lap. Nicholas jumped up and made a B-line for the bench. _

"_You…" he breathed lividly in a dangerous semi-whisper. _

_Lyra looked up from the small golden compass in her lap at Nicholas. "Nice to see you Nicholas." She said pleasantly. _

"_Don't you "Nice to see you, Nicholas," me! This…this has to stop!" he snapped. _

"_What has to stop?" _

"_Don't you "What has to stop?" me! I'm talking about this thing with Emily!" _

"_If you're referring to that little smile incident then I had nothing to do with that." Lyra said innocently. _

"_HOW CAN I BELIEVE THAT?" Nicholas said, pointing a finger at Lyra. "You…Lie! I got my lying prowess from YOU! Your name has LIE in it! Lyra! This is all a lie!" Nicholas said jumping up and gesturing around the dream-garden. "Your shirt is a lie, your hair is a lie, and your ferr…pine marten is a lie! See that bush over there?" _

"_Yes," Lyra said, humoring Nicholas's delusional tirade. _

"_That bush is a lie! You sit on a park bench made of LIES!!!!!!!" Nicholas screamed red in his dream-face. Lyra giggled slightly. _

"_WHAT'S SO DAMN FUNNY??!?!?!?!" _

"_It sounds to me like someone's got a little crush on somebody…" Lyra said in a sing-song voice. _

"_Oh, no! Stop right there, missy! None of that psycho-head-games-mumbo-jumbo! You are both setting Emily and me up and it's not fair!" _

"_Well if you don't like it I would suggest getting on that little favor I asked you." _

"_We're TRYING!!! We've been all over Oxford looking for answers!" _

"_Well try harder!" Lyra said. "You should get up now; you have a phone call…" _

* * *

Nicholas woke up to the sound of his cell phone buzzing on the table.

"Hello?" he asked as he flipped the phone open.

"I've got it!" an excited voice came over the phone.

"Emily?" he asked groggily

"Of course it's me! Listen, I was looking through my dad's books and I think I found something that may be able to help us! Meet me at my place in ten minutes!"

"Emily!"

"What?"

"I kinda need your address."

"Oh…right." she laughed sheepishly and relayed the directions to her house.

Nicholas hung up the phone, wearily looking at the clock. Only seven.

"This is going to be a long night." He mumbled, grabbing a jacket.

* * *

Forty minutes later, Nicholas stood in front of a small blue flat which bore the address Emily had given him. He tucked his hair behind his ears (_Damn Lyra…) _and tapped on the door.

Almost at once it flung open, revealing Emily dressed in a light blue tank top and matching sweatpants, hair thrown back in a loose ponytail.

"Uh…hi." Nicholas said, suddenly at a loss for words.

"Hi" Emily simply responded. They just looked at each other for a second before Emily regained her composure. "You're late." She said in a semi-cross, semi-playful manner.

"I had to walk." Nicholas said stepping inside and shrugging his coat off. "You live halfway across town." The house was small, but homey. Various cardboard boxes and bubble wrap lay strewn across the floor and family heirlooms lay in various places around the main room.

"Sorry about the mess; we're still in the middle of the move."

"That's fine; my house is a mess and we've lived here for years." Emily laughed and Nicholas felt a smile tugging at his lips. _She should really laugh more often because she's really cute when she…_

Nicholas shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts from his mind. _She's a friend; she's just a friend; She's just a friend with a rather cute...NO! _Nicholas thought.

At the same time, Emily was having inner conflicts of her own. _He's Funny…no! Friendfriendfriendfriendfriendfriendfriend; Just a friend, just a…wow, does he work out? Because he is really…NO! _

They caught each other's eye, seeing their own expression on the other's face as their past lives had done so many times. Nicholas laughed nervously. "So there was something you wanted to show me?"

"Huh? Oh, right! Follow me." She led him down the hall and into a study lined haphazardly with various Psychology manuals.

"Here," Emily said handing Nicholas a dusty old book. "I think what we need is a little face to face chat with Will and Lyra."

Nicholas cocked an eyebrow. "Face to face? How? The only time we see them is in our dreams."

"That's what the book is for. Psychologists have studied this unexplained phenomenon for years now. They think that people can share dreams and even "travel" between subconsciouses. It's really rare: the only people who have reported it are twins and…"

"And? And What?"

"Lovers…" Emily said quietly, face reddening slightly.

"Oh…so you think Will and Lyra could be able to do this?" Nicholas said, loosening his collar slightly.

"Yes, but they're going to need our dream states to get them there. And I've figured out how." Emily pulled a CD out of the flap of the book. "Hypnosis."

"Hypnosis?" Nicholas asked.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Is there an echo in here? Yes, Hypnosis!"

"But…how?"

"This CD contains all the means we need to put ourselves in a hypnotic trance and get Lyra and Will together in our dreams."

"But how do we come out? I don't want to be stuck inside my head with Romeo and Juliet for the rest of my life!"

"This thing has a two hour time limit so it will draw us out after two hours. Look it's getting late and I think we should try this before it gets too late; what do you say?"

Nicholas looked hesitantly at the little disk. "Alright. Let's go."

Emily led him into the living room where two leather recliners sat facing a TV and a stereo system. She popped the CD in and joined Nicholas in one of the chairs.

The CD began rolling and they reclined their chairs back. "See you in a few." Nicholas said. Emily simply smiled and pulled an eye mask over her eyes.

"_Close your eyes and begin to relax." _The recording spoke in a soft soothing voice.

"_Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Concentrate on your breathing. With each breath you become more and more relaxed. Imagine a brilliant white light above you. Focus in on this light as it flows through your body. Allow yourself to drift off as you slip into a more and more relaxed state of mind. Now as I count back from ten to one you will feel more peaceful and calm. _

_Ten_

_Nine_

_Eight_

_Seven_

_Six_

_You will enter a safe place where nothing can harm you_

_Five_

_Four_

_Three_

_Two_

_If you need to come back, all you must do is open your eyes._

_One…_

* * *

_AN: Next time: Will and Lyra meet, Nick and Emily get uncomfortable, Pan and Nicholas nearly come to blows, and Lyra tells Will a horrible secret…I don't own HDM or the Dream Theater song_


	8. Chapter Seven: Fatal Tragedy

_Chapter Seven: Fatal Tragedy_

_Alone at night_

_I feel so strange_

_I need to find_

_All the answers to my dreams_

_Dream Theater-Fatal Tragedy _

_Emily woke up once again on the soft green grass of the Botanic Garden. When she sat up and didn't see anyone around, she feared that the hypnosis hadn't worked. Then she heard a familiar voice coming over a garden hedge. _

"_MAYBE YOU TWO CAN STOP SNOGGING LONG ENOUGH FOR OXYGEN TO REACH YOUR BRAIN CELLS AND REMEMBER WHY WE'RE HERE!!" Emily rounded the hedge to see Nicholas standing over Will and Lyra who were clearly not paying any attention to him as they were locked in a long passionate kiss._

"_Do you mind?" Pantalaimon asked speaking for the enamored couple. He was sitting on the bench, nuzzling the large multi-colored cat. _

"_Actually I do, weasel boy!" Nicholas yelled at Pan (AN: It turns out that Pine Martens are more closely related to weasels than ferrets! Thank you Wikipedia!) _

"_Call me a weasel again and see what happens!" Pan barked, fur bristling _

"_Nicholas, are you seriously having a fight with the pine marten?" Emily asked coming up behind him. _

"_Emily! Thank God you're here! Let's find a crowbar so we can pry these two apart and then club the little WEASEL and make a hat out of him!!!!!!" He spat aiming the last comment at the enraged pine marten._

_Pan leapt at Nicholas but found himself unable to move as the cat had grabbed his tail in her teeth. "LET ME AT HIM, KIRJAVA!! I'LL CLAW HIS BLEEDING EYES OUT" Pan screamed, frothing at the mouth, trying to tug himself out of the feline's mouth. _

_Will and Lyra finally broke apart to notice Kirjava restraining Pan and Emily trying to pry a stick out of Nicholas's hand. "ONE SWING! THAT'S ALL I NEED TO FINISH YOU OFF, YOU BLOODY WOODLAND…"  
_

"_NO NICHOLAS!"  
_

"_He's kinda got an anger issue, doesn't he?" Will asked Lyra_

"_Yeah well beggars can't be choosers I suppose…" Lyra said thoughtfully._

"_FINALLY!" Nicholas said looking at the couple. "I was beginning to wonder if you found the key out of here and you accidentally dropped it in her mouth!" _

"_Relax, Nicholas!" Emily said, gently laying a hand on his arm. "We're both just a little upset over this whole thing and we really want you both out of here." _

"_What she said! Especially after today!" Nicholas chimed in. _

"_I'm getting a little tired of being accused of constantly meddling, aren't you?" Will said turning to Lyra. _

"_Quite. Let me ask you this Nicholas: If my feelings for Will are what supposedly driving your feelings towards Emily, then why is it that you're noticing things about her that have nothing to do with Will, like for instance that she has a really nice…?"_

"_OKAY!" Nicholas cut Lyra off, visibly embarrassed_

"_And if I love Lyra why would Nicholas even cross my mind?" Will added on. _

_Nicholas and Emily were both silent. For once in the little dream encounters in the garden they had nothing to say. They awkwardly stole a glance at each other before quickly turning away. _

"_That's not the point!" Emily said, trying to change the subject. "The point of this whole hypnotic disco is to try and exorcise the spirits of two love crazed teenagers and their magical talking animal friends! Now if you have any ideas, now would be the time to come forward." _

"_I might have an idea…" Nicholas volunteered _

"_Well done. Thanks for having a thought today…" Pan muttered under his breath. _

"_Hush, Pan. Go ahead Nicholas." Lyra said, smoothing Pan's fur. _

"_Thank you, Lyra." He said, shooting a vile look at Pan. "As I was saying, I was watching this ghost movie last week on TV and this one girl couldn't move on because she died in a tragic death and her soul was always tormented because of that." _

_As soon as Nicholas said that, Lyra's expression immediately changed. She became pale, eyes blinking rapidly. She began swallowing a lot and clung to Will's arm a little tighter._

"_Lyra?" Will asked taking note of her sudden turn. "What is it, love? What's wrong?" Lyra bit her lip and looked away from Will._

"_Is there something we should know?" Nicholas asked _

_Lyra eyes filled with tears and Pan became uneasy in her lap. Finally, Lyra turned back to face them. "I think I may have something that I might regret." She said softly. _

"_Can you tell us?" Emily asked._

"_No…but I can show you." Lyra stood up, pulling Will to his feet and walking down the garden path. Nicholas and Emily looked at each other and with a look of "might as well" set off after them. _

_As the path wound on they noticed the foliage becoming darker and more twisted. Flowers were replace by dead looking bushes and trees became gnarled and twisted. A small clinking noise drew Nicholas's attention down to the ground as he stumbled over a few empty bottles of what appeared to be alcohol. _

"_What's with the change of scenery?" Nicholas whispered to Emily. _

"_I dunno. Maybe since this garden is Lyra's world it's like a reflection of her mental state." Emily suggested. _

_Lyra led them to an old rusty gate with several chains barring access. Lyra reached into her pocket and drew a ring of keys. Thumbing through them, she found the one she was looking for and unlocked the gate. With a groan of protest, it swung wide, admitting the small party through. _

_They found themselves in a large room lined with row upon row of movie reels. Emily picked one out of the shelf and blew the dust off the cover revealing the title: Bolvangar. _

"_What are these?" Nicholas asked, holding up one saying: "Little Red Fruit" _

"_They're memories" Lyra said running her hands along the rows, kicking up dust as she did. "Everything I've ever seen, heard, or done is recorded here on these tapes" she finally reached the end of the row and drew the one she was looking for. She slowly turned to Will and with a few tears running down her cheeks. "Whatever you see, Will, I want you to know," she took a deep shuddering breath. "I want you to know that I tried." _

_Before Will could say anything Lyra fed the reel into a machine that resembled a projector. Suddenly the room disappeared and they were standing in a black void. Emily subconsciously grabbed onto Nicholas's arm and he turned away to avoid letting her see him blush. Suddenly the void was replaced by the inside of a small house. The lights were out but they could still make out a few shapes here and there: a small sitting room that opened into a kitchen and a hallway that was illuminated by a dim light at one end. A newspaper revealed the date: Jan 28. Emily noticed a small pistol sticking out of a leather purse and as they looked around she could swear she could hear something. _

"_Wait, listen!" Emily said softly. They all perked their ears up and heard a soft sound coming from the end of the hall where the light was. As they approached the room, they could make the unmistakable sounds of sorrow wafting out of the slightly open door. They pushed it open to see a young woman with tawny blonde hair sobbing into her pillow. Various books lay open and scattered about the bed and a small golden compass rested on her lap. A half filled wine bottle lay on its side and at her side a familiar pine marten was nuzzling her hand. _

"_Just calm down, Lyra! Maybe…maybe it's wrong or…" _

"_Of course its right, Pan! It's a bloody aleithometer! It always tells the truth!" the young woman sobbed desperately. "He's gone! He's…he's…" she broke off and buried her face in her pillow again. _

"_I know things may seem bleak but face it Lyra, we haven't seen them in years! Is your life honestly going to be different now that they're gone?" _

_The girl just gave a passionate cry and threw the wine bottle at the panicked pine marten. It crashed against the wall and shattered into a thousand pieces showering the invisible watchers with alcohol and glass. "How can you even say that, Pan?! How could you be so cold?! You never even liked them!"_

"_Lyra…" Pan said softly, hurt evident in his voice. _

_Lyra huffed and turned her furious, puffy, red-eyed gaze on the little golden compass in her lap. "You…" she said holding the instrument aloft. "I spent my whole bloody life studying you holding on to the smallest hope…" Lyra choked on a sob. "That maybe those angels were wrong. That maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny chance that we could be together. But when I finally figure out what you're saying…" Lyra was now shaking with grief-stricken rage. "You tell me that the love of my life has been killed! You miserable little machine…I hate you!" Lyra angrily threw the aleithometer against the wall. The crystal face shattered, joining the bottle on the floor. Pan ran over to the little symbol reader flipping it over. The little hands and wheels fell on to the floor with a clatter. _

"_Lyra! You broke it!" Pan said in distress. _

"_Oh, who cares?!" Lyra said storming out of the room. "It's no bloody use to me anymore!" _

_The invisible watchers followed her into the bathroom where Lyra proceeded to splash her face with cold water and look at her red puffy eyes in the mirror. She sobbed again, reaching for a towel to clean her face off. She just sat there for a while, holding the towel over her face and sitting on the edge of the bath tub. Nicholas let out a nervous little laugh and was promptly elbowed in the ribs buy Emily. _

"_Shh!" _

_Suddenly Past Lyra looked up with a look of incredible joy. "Will is dead…he's dead!" she said jumping up from the tub and running for the bedroom. _

"_PAN! THEY'RE DEAD! THIS IS WONDERFUL!!!!" She joyfully exclaimed picking the pine marten up and tossing him in the air. _

"_LYRA! Have you been hitting the bottle again?" Pan asked mid-flight, concerned about his human's sudden bi-polar switch of emotions. _

"_Don't you see Pan? If he's dead then he must be in the land of the dead!" _

"_Right…" _

"_So all we have to do to see him again is die." _

"_Right but what does that have to do with…" Pan looked into Lyra's eyes and jumped out of her arms as if she had turned into a werewolf. "Oh no! No, no, no! No, no! No, No! No! NO! Nein! Nay! Negative! Don't even think that Lyra Silvertongue!" _

"_Why not?" _

"_WHY NOT?!?!? Lyra listen to yourself! All this grief has gone to your head! You're actually suggesting…" _

"_Well why not Pan?" Lyra said jumping up and beginning to pace the room. "We wouldn't have to suffer through this pitiful excuse for a life we've been leading since St. Sophia's! We could be with Will and Kirjava again! All we have to do is…" _

"_Absolutely not!" Pan said bristling his fur. "I happen to like living this "Pitiful excuse for a life"! Have you even considered my feelings or are you too blinded over losing Will that you no longer care about me?!"_

_Lyra recoiled, stunned by Pan's accusation. They stared hard at each other for a few seconds, having a silent battle of wills between the two of them. Finally Lyra sighed. "I guess you're right Pan. You've always been the sensible one." _

"_Damn right I am. Now, let's get some sleep; we'll deal with this in the morning." Lyra nodded and stood up, making for the door. "Where are you going?" Pan inquired getting to his feet." _

_Lyra turned around to face her beloved daemon. "I'm just getting myself a nightcap. I think I need to calm down first."_

_Pan sighed. "Lyra you really need to cut back. Too much of that and…" _

"_I'm fine Pantalaimon." Lyra said harshly from the door. "I know what's good for me so if you don't mind…" and with that she left the room. _

_Pan curled up, laying his front paws on the pillow and curling his tail around his body. His eyes darted to the broken bottle on the floor and he sighed sadly. Ever since she was old enough it this problem had been spiraling out of control. She got really bad when she thought about Will, going through countless bottles on Midsummer's day, trying to lose him at the bottom of the next glass but finding no comfort when she got there. She couldn't stop, even if she wanted to. And she didn't want to. _

_Suddenly Pan's ears cocked and leapt up as though someone had just shocked him. Breathing heavily, he looked toward the kitchen with wide eyes. _

"_No…" he said quietly. Frantically he leapt up from the bed and made for the door. "LYRA PUT IT DOWN! PUT IT…" Pan never finished his sentence. A gunshot reverberated throughout the tiny apartment. Emily and Nicholas gasped as they saw Pan collapse to the floor. Gritting his teeth, he tried to crawl for the kitchen before collapsing against the rug. His breathing became more and more labored as time went on. Now and then he would try to sit up again only to find he was unable. For fifteen full minutes the daemon hung on to life before finally letting out one last sigh, "Lyra…why?" _

_And with that, he was gone. Vanished as if he was extinguished with a candle snuffer. _

_Then the room began to swirl, colors and shaped becoming twisted and distorted. When the room returned to normal, the four of them (Six if you count the daemons) found themselves in the small room with the memories. Nicholas looked over to see Will staring off into space, eyes glazed and shiny. _

"_Will…" Lyra said gently touching his arm. He pulled away from her and bolted out of the room, slamming the gate as he left. Nicholas and Emily looked at Lyra who took off after Will as soon as he had left. They ran after the couple until they reached the bench again. _

"_Will, wait!" Lyra called. Will stopped and turned to face Lyra. _

"_How could you?" he asked quietly, tears streaming down his face. "We promised each other, we promised, that we would live full, good, busy lives! What happened to that? Was that just another one of your lies as well?" he accused, hurt and betrayal saturating his voice. _

_Lyra gritted her teeth. "Don't you DARE judge me, William Parry! You have no idea of what I went through!." She was shaking violently with grief and rage. "It was so bloody easy for you wasn't it? You had you're nice job, you're nice house and you're nice little Victoria to keep you warm at night…" _

"_Leave her out of this!" Will demanded_

_Emily stepped forward as if to intervene, but felt Nicholas gently grip her shoulder. _

"_Don't. Let them work it out." Emily silently nodded and joined Nicholas in watching the quarrel heat up._

"_That's not the point!" Lyra said stamping her foot. She fought hard to keep the sob building in her chest down. "I…had…nothing! Every day of my life was just another tragedy in a long stream of misfortunes! I couldn't hold a job; I couldn't hold a boyfriend…"_

"_You also seemed to be unable to remain sober!" Will butted in. Big Mistake_

"_SHUT UP!" Lyra blazed. Will stepped back: Even Nicholas and Emily recoiled slightly "THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BLOODY BUISNESS! Even if I did, it's your fault!" _

"_My fault?!" Will echoed in disbelief _

"_Yes, your fault! I drank because…" _

"_Because what? What possible excuse could you have had?!" Will said advancing on Lyra. _

_Lyra's eyes widened as Will approached her. She bit her lip and started blinking rapidly. Finally she burst into tears and collapsed to the grass. "Because I couldn't forget you!" she sobbed pitifully, gently hugging herself. "I…I tried. I tried to do you proud, Will, but it was just too hard! It's hard when no one at school will talk to you because you happen to be friends with gyptians and witches and bears! It's hard when you can't stay with a guy because everything he does, you constantly compare to someone else! I tried to move on but I…" She broke off sobbing passionately at Will's feet. _

_Lyra's vision clouded with tears. She raised a hand to brush them away, but felt another hand clear them for her. Will was kneeling in front of her, gently holding her by the shoulders. He looked into her miserable, tear-streaming eyes before pulling her into a hug. Lyra sobbed into his shirt, occasionally saying "I did my best…I did my best…" _

_Nicholas and Emily awkwardly watched the couple hug. For the first time they no longer felt the familiar annoyance they usually associated with Will and Lyra's love. Instead they gazed upon the two crying, hugging teenagers with a sense of awed respect. _

"_They really love each other, don't they?" Emily quietly said. _

"_Yes they do. After everything they've been through, after years of separation, it's great to see that they never forgot each other." Nicholas commented. _

_Finally, Will and Lyra broke apart and turned to Nicholas. "Well then, what now? We've gone through deaths so shouldn't we be gone now?" Lyra asked. _

"_Well…not exactly." Nicholas said, looking at the ground. _

"_What do you mean?" _

"_Well…in the movie, the girl couldn't move on because she still had unfinished business."_

"_Unfinished business? Well, my business went up with me in that explosion." Will said_

"_Yes, and I never had any business to attend to." Lyra added. _

_They sat on the bench, puzzling over the latest development in the most bizarre mystery any of them had ever experienced. _

_Suddenly Nicholas sat up. "Wait. Wait…what about what you said to Will in that dream?" _

"_What dream?" Lyra asked. _

"_That dream before Emily showed up at school!" Nicholas began pacing back in forth in front of the bench. "You were making out on the bench and he said…I dunno…something about Midsummer's day as long as you live?" Nicholas looked at them, hoping for answers. _

_They both looked at each other in shock. "Of course…we died in January so…" Will said_

"_You never visited the garden again which is why you can't move on and which is why your dream world looks like a garden!" Emily concluded. _

"_Then that's it!" Nicholas said jumping up. "All we have to do is…" _

_Nicholas was cut off by a mysterious voice echoing through the garden. Everything was surrounded by a brilliant white light, blinding Nicholas._

"_You are once again surrounded by a brilliant white light." The voice echoed. " Allow that light to lead you away from your past and into this lifetime. As the light dissipates, you will slowly fade back into consciousness, remembering all you have learned. When I tell you to open your eyes you will return to the present, feeling peaceful and fresh…"_

"_Open your eyes, Nicholas" _

* * *

"GAH!"

Nicholas sat bolt upright in his chair as Emily was slowly coming out of her trance. The two hours were up: the tape had brought them back.

"Emily! I've got it! All we have to do is visit the garden on Midsummer's day and they'll have completed their unfinished business! They can finally leave!"

Emily rubbed her eyes. "Calm down Nicholas. How are we even sure that it'll work?"

"Well there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Nicholas said jumping up excitedly. "Think about it, Emily! A full…night's…sleep!" he breathed. "They'll be gone for good!"

"Well…alright." Emily said somewhat reluctantly.

"What do you mean alright? Aren't you glad to be rid of them?"

"Oh yes! Of course…" Emily said in a soft voice. The truth was that she was dreading the day when Will and Lyra left because she was afraid that it would mark the end of her time with Nicholas. And the truth was, she was really beginning to enjoy his company.

"Then it's settled! Midsummer's day is on Saturday so that will give us plenty of time to…" Nicholas broke off as if he suddenly remembered something.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked.

"What? Oh…nothing. It's just…" _Might as well, _Nicholas thought. "Uh…Emily. The thing is…well every year my school holds a dance on Midsummer's Eve, you know a kind of an end-of-the-term dance and well…I was wondering if you would like to…maybe…go with me?" he finally managed to say.

Emily slowly smiled. "Sure…"

"Great!" Nicholas said with relief. "We can go to the dance and get to the bench before it gets too late and then…"

"Right!" Emily said, cutting him off.

"Okay…" Suddenly the room became very awkward, as if they were suddenly shy around each other. "So I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow?"

"I guess you will…" Emily said.

They looked at each other for a few moments before they realized what they were doing and quickly turned away.

"I should get going! Bye!" Nicholas grabbed his coat and ran out the door, waving behind him as he went. Emily watched him go before closing the door behind him. She sighed as she watched him walk down the street with the realization that Midsummer's Day was only a week away. One week. Then Will and Lyra could be at peace.

One week, and they were finally free…

_AN: HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS KIDS CUZ THIS IS ABOUT TO COME TO AN EXPLOSIVE CONCLUSION!!!!! Oh and I do not own HDM or the DT stuff…I'm gonna update DOE before i finish so see you kids in a week!!_


	9. Chapter Eight: Finally Free

_Chapter Nine: Finally Free_

_This Feeling_

_Inside me _

_Finally found my love _

_I've finally broke free_

_No longer_

_Torn in two_

_Learned about my life by living through you _

_Dream Theater-Finally Free_

Friday morning rolled around quicker than anyone expected and the whole school was buzzing with anticipation. Finals had passed and the end of the year dance approached with each passing second. For the last week people had been rushing around like mad trying to find dates, plan the evening's events while still trying to concentrate on the last week of school. Needless to say, many of the teachers became annoyed with the distraction the dance caused, one teacher going so far as to threaten to fail the next student who asked someone to the dance in her class.

But for Nicholas and Emily, Friday stood for more than a simple dance. It marked the end of months of mental, physical and emotional unrest culminating in the most exhausting and bizarre weekend either of them had ever had. Neither of them could wait for the week to be over.

Will and Lyra seemed to sense the end as well because they actually let Nicholas and Emily get some undisturbed sleep in time for finals. Their dreams were now more concerned with the details of their past lives than their emotional angst. Emily learned that Will became a successful researcher and doctor at the university who was uncannily good at diagnosing illness. He had to cover that fact by deliberately making mistakes in medical school so as not to draw undue attention. Lyra on the other hand had become a successful author, turning her knack for making up stories and lies into a very profitable living selling millions of books worldwide. These pleasant images of their past lives proved a soothing contrast to the angst riddled fantasies that had made life miserable for them for the past few months

Their anticipation had a contagious effect on their fellow classmates. Everybody somehow knew that something special was bound to happen Friday night. They weren't sure how they knew or even what was going to happen but just as sure as they knew that ice was cold and fire was hot they knew that Friday night's dance was going to be something so much more than just a dance.

* * *

Finally Friday afternoon found Nicholas glancing at the clock above the teacher's desk frequently. He had finished his final and was now anxiously waiting for the bell to parole them from their prison of academic standards for the three months of the year that every student waits all year for. Unfortunately the clock seemed to be playing evil clocky games wit the students of Mr. Malloy's fourth period history class by dragging the second hand like it was made of solid lead. Thirty six pairs of eyes sat eyes glued to the clock and thirty six brains willed the clock to go faster with all their combined might.

"Well it seems like everyone has handed in their tests." Mr. Malloy said standing up and facing the class. "In the last few minutes we have together I would like to stress the importance of the History of the World in…"

_BRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGG!!!_

A collective cheer cut Mr. Malloy off as thirty students rushed the door like the room they were in was going to suddenly blow up. Mr. Malloy tried to remind them that _he _dismissed them and not the bell but it was clear that no one was listening.

"What was one of the lasting legacies of the Roman Empire?" Nicholas asked Emily as they walked down the school halls. "I got the calendar, institutions of Christianity and…?"

"Modern forms of government and architecture." Emily Replied

"…so I take it they weren't credited with inventing the wheel."

"No, that was the cavemen."

…Damn!"

They continued discussing their various finals until they reached the crossroads that lay between their houses. They bade each other goodbye and agreed to meet each other at the garden at eight.

As she walked home, Emily thoughts turned to the last week's events. In seven days she had moved to a new house, changed schools, made a new friend and FINALLY discovered the meaning behind her reoccurring dreams. If someone had told her about reincarnation and destiny a week ago, she would have smiled politely and calmly called the loony bin. Now she was beginning to wonder whether or not she was insane herself. What was she doing? How was visiting a park and sitting on a bench supposed to exorcise the spirits of two angsty teens and their talking animal friends doomed by worlds of separation and lifetimes of strife? The thought that their plan wasn't going to work and that she was going to be stuck with a slightly emo teenage boy for the rest of her life was unbearable.

Emily put the thought out of her mind as she unlocked her front door. If all her hopes were riding on a lousy horror movie cliché, she had to believe in it as much as she could. Their sad, silly little plan needed all the help and encouragement it could get…

* * *

Three hours later Nicholas was standing at the entrance to the Botanic Gardens dressed in a blue short sleeved dress shirt and kakis waiting for Emily to appear. The school had rented the garden for the affair as it was a perfect location for the end of school/ start of summer dance. The party had spread out over almost ten square acres filled with students of all grades from a few freshmen splashing in the pond to the seniors enjoying their last taste of school. For Nicholas and his junior friends, this was the beginning of the end. As their days as juniors wound down the reality of the rest of their lives approached with alarming speed. The dance represented the end of their childhood and the entrance into the adult world. A part of Nicholas was sorry to see it go. Seeing both of his parents' lives sucked into their careers made Nicholas apprehensive about taking the plunge into maturity.

Nicholas's thoughts were disturbed by the person he had been waiting for appear in front of him wearing a light blue summer dress that matched Nicholas's shirt.

"Wow," he said dumbstruck "You look…."

"Yeah?" Emily asked after a few seconds of silence

"Uhhh….y-you look…"

"Well jeez don't get all mushy on me…" Emily said playfully before grabbing his arm and pulling him into the garden.

The party was in full swing by the time they made their way to the dance floor. After making the rounds talking to their friends they hit the floor for a few songs. Nicholas found out that Emily was an uncannily good dancer and after several songs it was apparent that he couldn't keep up with her. He finally got a break when the DJ who had been pumping non stop trance music finally relented and pulled out "Purple Rain" (_AN: For those of you unaware of the song (I.E LIVING UNDER A ROCK OR UNDER FOURTEEN) it's an eight minute R&B Slow Jam. Oh yeah…) _Nicholas happily wrapped his arms around Emily's waist to relax for about eight minutes.

"What's the matter? Can't keep up?" Emily whispered in his ear

"No. You're mum must have been a DDR machine!"

They swayed softly to the sounds of the music and with the occasional summer breeze until the song ended on a wicked solo. The music rapidly shifted into a severely fast rock beat and Nicholas hurriedly suggested they get punch.

* * *

Around midnight, they slipped away from the crowd and off to the bench in the middle of the park. The quickly hopped the fence and dashed across the bridge until they reached the infamous piece of lawn décor that had dominated their lives for so long.

They sat each on one side of the bench, Nicholas sitting where Lyra sat and Emily where Will spent every Mid-Summer's day until he died. They sat in silence, waiting…

One minute passed

Two Minutes

Three…

Fifteen minutes later, nothing happened.

"I don't get it, what's wrong?" Nicholas asked. "We did what you wanted now go!" he sighed, standing up and moving towards the pond

Emily fidgeted joining Nicholas on the shore. "Maybe there's no way out for them. Maybe they're stuck like this until…we die."

"Yeah…maybe"

"But at least we can talk to each other about this. I mean no one else will understand."

Nicholas looked at Emily, her hair framed by the silver light of the full moon. She was the only good thing that came out of this whole ordeal and if he was stuck with Lyra and that God-awful rat-weasel-ferret for the rest of his life then he was glad to know that there was someone out there who actually understood him.

Emily looked over at Nicholas. He was the only good thing she could take away from this whole ordeal and if she was stuck with the most depressing man-child in the world then there was no one she would have rather been stuck with than Nicholas.

Almost at the same time they looked at each other. Instead of feeling embarrassed or shy, they both new what they felt.

"Emily" Nicholas said

"Nicholas." She replied, hoping for and fearing his next words.

"I know we just met a week ago and this may seem really sudden but I…I feel like I've known you all my life." He said sheepishly

"Well, in a way, you have." Emily smiled

He leaned in closer. "I don't want rush into things just yet…"

"No we wouldn't want that…" she replied moving in as well

"I just think that if we take the time and…" Closer

"See how it goes…" Closer

"Then maybe…" Closer

"We"

"Could"

Whatever Nicholas would have said next isn't important because Emily cut him off by pressing her lips against his. He slowly kissed back wrapping his arms around the girl who had become his best friend.

They broke off, staring into each other's eyes "Wow" Emily said dreamily

"Woah." Nicholas said, eyeing Emily who appeared to be glowing. He looked shocked as bits of gold dust came out of her hair tips and swirled in the air. He reached up to touch his own hair only to shake a cloud of dust loose from his curly locks.

Two clouds of swirling gold Dust had collected on the bench as if drawn by some magnetic pull. They were hazy at first but at they swirled faster and faster, two shapes became clear. A young man with a stubborn look about him and a feisty girl with tawny blonde hair, each holding a different animal appeared out of thin air. The boy and girl were locked in a fierce kiss.

"Will" the girl said.

"Lyra" Will replied.

The two doomed lovers were together again.

"Wait, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!?!? HOW DID YOU GET OUT AND WHY DIDN"T YOU DO IT BEFORE?!?!?!?!" Nicholas fumed earning a giggle from Emily

"I guess it was just the right combination of the right circumstances" Lyra said from her spot in Will's arms "I guess falling in love in the Botanic Garden after a long and tumultuous journey created a mirror of our own experiences."

"We were so close to this world that we just popped out." Will finished, smiling for the first time in a long time. Pan and Kirjava were also very happy, rolling and playing on the ground as their humans embraced.

"P-P-POPPED OUT?!?!! LIKE A BLOODY POP-TART?!?!"

"So what now?" Emily asked, putting a hand on Nicholas's shoulder to calm him down

"Well we'll be going in a few seconds." Will said, already beginning to break apart into little dust particles

"We only have enough power to maintain our states for a little longer." Lyra said

"But before we go, we have someone we'd like you to meet." Kirjava said, her small cat body almost gone.

"Look behind you!" Pan said as he fully turned to Dust.

The four separate entities came together, swirling and twisting until they became one big cloud. The cloud lingered for a few moments before shooting up into the sky. As Nicholas and Emily's eyes traveled upward they saw the cloud grow brighter and brighter before dimming and forming a small star at the tip of Polaris, the Northern Star.

"They're gone." Emily said almost sadly

"Yeah," Nicholas said wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "They're gone

"Yeah, but they left you something to remember them by!" a voice called out.

As Emily and Nicholas turned they saw that the voice came from a large multicolored cat, identical to Kirjava except for the fact that he was obviously male. And beside him was…

"You have got to be kidding me…" Nicholas said, looking at his daemon, an exact replica of Pan, but female.

"So I hear tell that you've got a problem with pine martens…" she said eyeing him shiftily

They all shared a hearty laugh as Nicholas blushed mumbling something about how "God hated him…"

"Hey I think we still have time for one more dance." Emily said pulling an anxious Nicholas back in the direction of the party, their new daemons in tow.

* * *

As they arrived the DJ was making last announcements. "Okay everyone we got one more song to play for you tonight so we're ending it with a request. This song is dedicated to the school's new couple Nicholas and Emily!" The crowd cheered even earning a few wolf whistles. "This song is from Will, Lyra, Kir, and Pan Who Hates You. This song is called The Spirit Carries On"

Nicholas and Emily slowly wrapped their arms around each other as the song began to play

_Where did we come from?  
Why are we here?  
Where do we go when we die?  
What lies beyond  
And what lay before?  
Is anything certain in life?_

_They say, life is too short,  
The here and the now  
And youre only given one shot  
But could there be more,  
Have I lived before,  
Or could this be all that weve got? _

_If I die tomorrow  
Id be allright  
Because I believe  
That after were gone  
The spirit carries on_

_I used to be frightened of dying  
I used to think death was the end  
But that was before  
Im not scared anymore  
I know that my soul will transcend_

_I may never find all the answers  
I may never understand why  
I may never prove  
What I know to be true  
But I know that I still have to try_

_If I die tomorrow  
Id be all right  
Because I believe  
That after were gone  
The spirit carries on_

_Move on, be brave  
Don't weep at my grave  
Because I am no longer here  
But please never let  
Your memory of me disappear_

_Safe in the light that surrounds me  
Free of the fear and the pain  
My questioning mind  
Has helped me to find  
The meaning in my life again  
Victorias real  
I finally feel  
At peace with the girl in my dreams  
And now that Im here  
Its perfectly clear  
I found out what all of this means_

_If I die tomorrow  
Id be allright  
Because I believe  
That after were gone  
The spirit carries on_

The song ended and everyone broke into applause. Everyone except Nicholas and Emily who lingered in each other's arms for just a little longer…

_AN: FINALLY! I had to lock my self in my room with the books and the album until I felt inspired again. Thanks to everybody who liked this fic and read this after THREE MONTHS!!!! Peace!!!!_

_Dotmw!  
_


End file.
